


Vulnerable

by Jude_The_Dude



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Daniel is basically just here to disturb the peace, I'll keep adding tags as I go I guess, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Max develops a crush on his teacher, Max is 18, Nikki Max and Neil are all seniors, Student Max, Teacher David, Teacher Gwen, Teacher-Student Relationship, That's it, that's the story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2018-12-26 16:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12062646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jude_The_Dude/pseuds/Jude_The_Dude
Summary: Max is finally in his senior year but his homeroom teacher is an absolute nuisance. It's hate at first sight and he disdains the man with every fiber in his being. But what happens when this bitter, nihilistic teen develops an attraction for his much too lenient and cheerful teacher?





	1. Tutoring

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trash at summaries forgive me. This is my lame CC high school AU. I'm a sucker for student/teacher ships so this is a thing. Max is 18, David is 32 so there's a pretty big age gap but it's legal so don't like don't read? P.S. Nikki and Neil are basically background characters.

Max scowled down at his class schedule before folding it up and heading to his designated homeroom. He sat down in a desk at the back of the classroom by the window and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and his chin in his hands.

 

“Max!” A cheerful, slightly raspy voice called out causing the brooding teen to focus his gaze on the familiar mess of turquoise curls.

 

“Hey, Nikki.” He replied with significantly less enthusiasm. She rushed to the free seat beside him and sat down, leaning over the side of her desk. “I heard this teacher is really nice!” Nikki beamed as Max simply stared out the window.

 

“Yeah, I bet.” Max rolled his eyes and sighed, watching some squirrel scurry up a tree outside.

 

As Nikki rambled on about her classes and which ones she had with Neil and/or Max, the brunet slowly turned his gaze to the front of the classroom, watching the teacher enter. This guy was already making a shitty first impression by being late to his own class. Max eyed the man carefully. He was tall and pale with a reddish tint to his knees, elbows, and nose making it seem like his body was reacting to the chill of the air conditioning. His auburn hair was spiked up at the front and he wore a short-sleeve dress shirt and khakis. The best (or worst) part of his outfit being his tree-covered neck tie.

 

“Good morning, boys and girls! I’m so excited to see all these eager faces in my class!”

 

Max didn’t even need to look at the other students to know that this teacher’s statement was far from the truth. The only eager student in this class was Nikki and that wouldn’t last long by the looks of this guy. He began handing out papers to each student, earning a few disappointed groans.

 

“Don’t worry, kids. This is just a fun activity so I can get to know my new students.” He beamed, gently sliding a paper onto Nikki and Max’s desks. Max narrowed his eyes up at the very twink-like man and spoke with his chin propped up by his hand. “Dude, we’re seniors. Don’t you think we’re a bit too old for ‘Get To Know Me’ worksheets?”

 

“You’re never too old for fun, young man!”

 

“I would call this anything but.” Max glared at the unnerving grin of the history teacher and rolled his eyes. The teacher seemed to not hear Max- or he was just ignoring him. Yeah, probably the latter. He simply walked back to the front of the classroom and leaned against his desk, smiling wide at the students.

 

“Now kids, I think last names are much too formal, so you can all call me Mr. David or Mr. D.”

 

“Jesus, he’s one of  _those_ teachers.” Max muttered, dragging his palm down his face. “I think he’s cool!” Nikki exclaimed, scribbling down answers onto the worksheet she was given.

 

Mr. D spent the rest of the class period going through the class rules - rule number one of course being  _treat others the way you want to be treated_ \- and reading over the syllabus with the students. He collected the worksheets at the end of class and watched the students leave, a big smile on his face. Max turned before leaving to glare at him, earning himself an eager wave from the teacher. He let out a noise of disgust and left the classroom, heading after Nikki.

 

* * *

 

“I swear to God, our homeroom teacher is some sort of fucking alien. Or maybe a cult leader. Whatever he his, he isn’t normal. He’s too damn happy, like, _all_ the time.” Max ranted to Nikki and Neil as he moved the mashed potatoes around on his tray with his brows knit tightly.

 

“Really?” Neil glanced at Nikki for affirmation and she simply shrugged and continued shoving chicken tenders in her mouth. “You gonna eat that?” She mumbled through a mouth full of food, pointing to Neil’s fruit cup. He handed it to her and turned back to Max, listening to him continue his rambling.

 

“He’s so  _annoying._ It’s only been three days and I’m already trying to figure out whether I want to kill him or myself. I’ve never seen someone teach high school seniors and be so fucking happy.”

 

Neil scoffed and took a sip from his water bottle. “Like you said, it’s only been three days. Give him a few weeks and he’ll be longing for the sweet embrace of death like the rest of us.”

 

“I thought you liked school, Neil.” Nikki inquired with a slight tilt of her head.

 

“I like learning, Nikki. I hate school. School is full of idiots and assholes that kill my learning vibe.” Neil replied with a sigh as he pushed away his tray of half-eaten food. Max sat there, contemplating Neil’s words with a sigh as he moved his food around absentmindedly. Neil was right, Max just had to give it time.

 

His happy-go-lucky history teacher would crack soon enough. He couldn’t possibly keep that mask on dealing with a bunch of douche bag seniors. Max would just have to bear a few more weeks of that horrid grin. Just a few weeks.

 

* * *

 

 

Two months later, Max is on the verge of absolutely losing his shit. Mr. D had been called vile names, been pranked and hit with crumpled up paper and even spit balls and he still wouldn’t give. Most of these things had been done by Max, who hadn’t even got detention from a single thing. This guy was way too fucking lax, and normally Max appreciated a teacher who wasn’t strict or demanding, but this guy was just so...okay with everything. Meanwhile, Max’s grades were falling steadily, the lowest being in his history class. History had always been his favorite subject until this year. Now he felt like he was in kindergarten and simply refused to listen to the lessons, or anything Mr. D said for that matter, because he couldn’t stand to hear his over excited ranting about the subject.

 

“I’ll see you at lunch, okay Max?” Nikki beamed before rushing out of the classroom to assumably go find Neil. Max replied with a simple “‘Kay.” and began packing up his things. He felt an uncomfortably bright pair of eyes boring into him as he slipped a journal into his bag.

 

“Max, could you stay after class for a moment?”

 

Max sighed in exasperation and finished packing up his things before turning to the teacher. He waited for the rest of the students to leave before leaning back against his desk and looking at Max with a concerned smile. “What is it?” The fluffy haired teen asked bitterly, sitting atop his own, much smaller desk.

 

“Well, Max… I’ve noticed that your grades aren’t...the best.”

 

“And? What of it? I’m sure I’m far from the only kid failing in your class.”

 

“You’re right. However, you have the lowest grade in the class by quite a bit.” The ginger teacher rubbed the back of his neck and smiled a tad nervously, as if he was was afraid of Max. Max simply stared back, obviously annoyed and waiting for him to get to the point. Mr. David straightened his back and smiled brighter; a tad more confidently, before speaking again. “I want you to come to tutoring after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

 

“Hell no.”

 

The teacher sighed softly and tilted his head, but his smile did not falter. “Max, if you don’t come to tutoring, you’ll certainly fail the first quarter and that’s not something I want for you.”

 

“What is something you want for me, Mr. Douche face?” Max deadpanned, staring straight into the other’s eyes.

 

“Language, Ma-”

  
“You want to fill my life with happiness and sunshine like yours? Not gonna happen, teach.” Max continued, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and hunching over a tad more than he already was.

“While I would be ecstatic to see you a bit more jovial, Max, my current focus is to help you raise your grades in my class. Hopefully, the end result will also be a raise in your mood!” The red-headed man clapped his hands together cheerfully and beamed at Max who practically gagged in response.

 

“You’re a bigger idiot than I thought if you think either of those things are at all likely.”

 

“Now Max, be polite.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

“I never said it’d be easy. Absorbing a difficult subject can take time, but if we work together we can get it in no time!”

 

“I hate to burst your bubble, Mr. Dumbass, but I love history. I’m great at it. I just don’t like _you_ . You’re bubbly attitude and kindergarten-teacher-curriculum make me _sick_.” Max sneered, wondering faintly in the back of his mind why in the fresh hell he was still in this god forsaken classroom, conversing with this moron.

 

David’s smile faltered for a moment and when Max caught that glimpse of a frown something fluttered inside of him. Relief? Pride? No- triumph. He opened his mouth to start again but was quickly cut off by the other who was once again grinning like an idiot. “Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I really do hope to see you at tutoring tomorrow though.”

 

“Whatever.” Max hopped off the desk and slipped on his backpack. “Am I free to go?” He asked, to which his teacher simply gave a nod. He left the classroom and headed to lunch, now much later than he’d intended to be.

 

 _Like hell I’m going to tutoring._ He scoffed to himself as he plugged in his headphones and headed to the cafeteria.  

 

* * *

 

 

Max didn’t go to tutoring the day after. He continued his day like any other, miserable at best. However, by Thursday, something in him was gnawing at him and begging him to go to tutoring. Not because he needed it, and definitely not because he wanted it. For one, it was an opportunity to catch up in class, and two, it was an opportunity to try and piss off Mr. David.

 

He trudged toward the history classroom after school with his hands in his pocket and his headphones in his ears. Once he reached the door, held open with a trash bin, he sighed and straightened his back before entering.

 

“Max! How wonderful of you to join us!”

 

Max ignored the greeting and noted that his desk was being occupied by some edgy, probably freshman girl with dyed hair and too much eye liner. He simply sat at the other side of the classroom, by the cabinets and looked around the classroom. He took out his books and got to work on taking down the notes that David was writing on the board. Max had his earbuds in and couldn’t hear him as he explained or as he called on Max.

 

Max glanced back up from his notebook to read the board only to see the entire five other students and David staring at him expectantly. He blinked and narrowed his eyes at David, taking a headphone out of his ear and sighing in response. “Yes?”

 

“Are you taking notes, Max?” David asked with a much too bright smile.

 

“Yes. Is that all you wanted to ask?”  Max sat there, staring past the many other eyes and locking his own with the teacher, holding his earbud up to his ear as he waited for David to go back to teaching.

 

“Just let me know if you have any questions. And I do suggest you keep one headphone out so you can hear the lesson.” David chuckled at Max, placing his hands on his hips and smiling warmly. Max raised a brow at the teacher and his lip twitched into a deeper frown than it was before. He simply put the earbud back into his ear and continued scribbling down his notes.

 

Max hadn’t even realized that everyone had left until he looked at the board and realized that David had stopped writing. He looked to the side and saw the one student left aside from himself packing up his things and chatting with David. Max slowly took an earbud out and watched the student leave before letting his eyes rest on the teacher. David beamed and walked over to the teen, placing one hand on his hip and the other on Max’s desk. “Well, Max, let’s see what progress you’ve made!”  Max rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone to pause his music.

 

After showing David the notes he took and quickly establishing that he hadn’t listened to or absorbed any information from David, the much too forgiving history teacher loomed over Max’s desk and held out a hand for the boy’s pencil. Max muttered something under his breath and handed David the pencil, watching him underline and circle specific names and dates in Max’s notebook as he explained their significance.

 

Max stared down at the paper and then up at his teacher who was uncomfortably close. He felt the urge to comment on his poor boundaries, but he kept his lips sealed tight and placed his cheek in his hand. Max simply stared at the older male curiously, examining the way his eyes creased when he smiled and the way he shifted his weight as he wrote down a different question, weird things like that.

 

“Do you get it, Max?”

 

Max blinked feverishly and stared directly at his teacher, realizing he hadn’t been paying a sliver of attention to the work. His face heated up due to embarrassment and something in his gut that he couldn’t label. Probably disdain. “Uh y-yeah.” he replied, looking down at the paper and furrowing his eyebrows.

 

David sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “Max, you have to pay attention if you want to learn.” Max kept his gaze firm on the paper and David squatted beside the desk, looking up at Max. Max glared at David and rolled his eyes, the heat in his face dying down ever so slowly.

 

“Maybe I don’t want to learn.”

 

“But Max-”

 

“I’m going home. See you tomorrow, David.”

 

“It’s _Mr_ . Da-” Before David could finish, Max was shoving his notebooks into his backpack and zipping it up. He turned and headed out of the classroom as David just stood there with a small frown. Maybe tutoring Max was going to be futile.   _No! I won't give up on him._ David huffed, balling his fist in the air dramatically. He would help Max- even if it killed him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you guys enjoy this! Leave comments and kudos if you did like it cause I thrive on praise like a golden retriever. Constructive criticism is also appreciated!


	2. "Kiddo"

Max was getting sick and tired of having to blow off Neil and Nikki half the times they wanted to hang out after school. Not to mention, neither of them failed to get on his ass and taunt him about having to get after-school tutoring - for history of all subjects.

 

“Yo, Mr. Dickweed.”

 

“Max! Good to see you. I do wish you’d mind your language, though.” David smiled, a tad uneasily at Max as the teen burst into the empty classroom. “Do you need some extra help?”

 

“That’s what I’m here to talk about.”

 

“Oh wonderful, just sit and I’ll-”

 

“I’m not coming to tutoring anymore.”

 

“W-what?”

 

Max sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, speaking again. “I have no free time. I’ve learned enough. I don’t need this anymore- I’m done.” Max said, turning to leave and clumsily tripping over thin air and placing his palms out front to stop him from most likely breaking his nose.

 

“Max!” David ran over and placed a weightless hand on Max’s shoulder, resting the other under the elbow on the opposite arm and lifting him up. Max threw his arm back to smack his hand way, being the stubborn child he was, and David reflexively grabbed his wrist, a bit too tight for comfort.

 

For some reason, it didn’t hurt. However it did make Max’s face grow uncomfortably warm to learn that this lanky twink was strong enough to hold him back. He jerked away but David’s grip was firm, which only made Max more flustered.

 

Max was getting pissed off. He felt weird and he couldn’t pinpoint why. Okay, that was a lie, he was eighteen and definitely old enough to know why he felt flustered and agitated and way too warm. But he would never ever in a million years admit it outloud or even to himself. Not that he kind of maybe probably had a crush on his shitty, annoying, unsettlingly happy history teacher.

 

“Dude...let go.” The bitter teen growled, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. David sighed and released Max’s hand with a somewhat forced smile. “I’m only trying to help, Max. Try to be patient with me.” He said warmly, putting both hands on his hips and refraining from upsetting Max with anymore physical contact.

 

Max shrugged apathetically and turned to go. “Whatever…I’m going home now.” He sighed and trudged out of the classroom with David shouting eagerly behind him. “I hope to see you back on Tuesday!”

 

* * *

 

After sitting down with Neil and Nikki to organize their schedules, Max decided (very reluctantly, of course) that he should continue tutoring. If he only stayed after Tuesdays and Thursdays, what was stopping him from hanging out with his friends? His lack of free time was admittedly a bad excuse, he knew that, but it was an excuse nonetheless.

 

He went through the next few days trying to ignore Mr. David, per usual, but instead he found himself more focused on him; the only thing he was ignoring was the lesson. On Monday, Nikki actually waited for Max after class instead of racing off to the lunch lines., which was very abnormal. She hopped on his Desk, crossing her legs and grinning wide at him.

 

Max looked up from packing his things and raised a brow at Nikki before greeting her. “Yes, hello.” The teal-haired teen narrowed her eyes suspiciously, her grin not faltering for a moment.

 

“Sooo…” She leaned in close, one hand on her hip and one hand on the desk. “What’s going on with you and Mr. Teacher Man?”

 

He jerked his head around the classroom and saw David putting some things in the file cabinet beside his desk; apparently he didn’t hear her. He turned back to Nikki, face flushed and glaring. “Dude, shut up, he’s right there!”

 

“So you do like him!” She whispered very loudly, chuckling into her hand. “Dude, he’s like 30!”

 

“What? No way! He can’t be older than like...27.” Max muttered, narrowing his eyes curiously at the older man.

 

“What are you talking about? He _told_ us. Well, we were guessing at first. 32, I think he said… You really don’t pay attention in this class, huh?”

 

Bright green eyes grew wide and he swallowed hard, suddenly feeling his emotions beginning to jumble. 32? He looked so young! Sure, Max had a few flings with 20-whatever-year-olds, but never a 30 year old and never a teacher. But he wasn’t planning on having a fling with his teacher- he just thought he was kind of cute, so it was okay, right?

 

“You didn’t deny it~! I’m totally telling Neil!” Nikki exclaimed, not bothering to whisper anymore as she rushed out of the classroom over excitedly. “Nikki- no- goddamn it Nikki!” He shouted after her, quickly shoving the rest of his things in his bag and running after his big-mouthed friend.

 

David watched him leave, blinking in confusion and wondering what the two could have been talking about. Did Max have a crush on someone? That’s what it sounded like. How cute! David wondered if it could be himself. It didn’t happen often, but there was always the rare occasion in his teaching career in which one student or another had a crush on him. It was typically harmless, and admittedly very sweet when students would bring him gifts and treats to ultimately confess their feelings that he would have to inevitably reject. It always gave him a sense of guilt having to reject someone’s feelings, but he was definitely not one to have a romantic relationship with a student.

 

Which brought David to the question of whether or not he wanted Max to have a crush on him. _What a silly question! Of course not!_ He thought, smiling to himself as he organized his files. That’s what he told himself, but he couldn’t help but blush at the idea of Max giving him extra attention, or being _nice_ to him. It was an innocent enough thought, simply to want Max to treat him kindly. There’s no way it could be misconstrued as romantic. So why did he still feel guilty?

 

* * *

 

When Max finally got to the cafeteria Nikki was, as suspected, already sitting with Neil. The two seemed to be conversing before Neil noticed Max and warned Nikki before waving casually at his friend. Max muttered to himself and trudged over, sitting beside Nikki who was now in the middle.

 

“So, Max. How’s tutoring going?” Neil asked with a knowing smirk, earning himself a glare from Max and a chuckle from Nikki. “There’s nothing going on with me and that moron.” Max replied defensively, taking his lunch out of his bag and setting it on the table.

 

“Yeah but you like him!”

 

“Shut up, Nikki!”

 

“You didn’t deny it, though.”

 

“Shut up, Neil!” Max’s cheeks were glowing red at this point and he slapped his palm over his face. “For Christ’s sake...I don’t have a crush on that annoying ass teacher. Let it go, would you?”

 

“Fiiiiine.”

 

“Yeah, whatever.”

 

“Thank you.”  Max sighed and took a bite out of his sandwich. There was no way in Hell he’d admit to having any feelings other than aggravation or disdain toward David.

 

* * *

 

 

 

It was Tuesday and Max had officially decided he would continue wearing down his soul at tutoring. He headed there after class and there were somehow less kids than there had been for the first meeting. At first, he wasn’t sure if he was pleased or discontented by the lack of students there, but he decided on the former, being that David would obviously be disappointed by the turn out. This time Max was gonna pay attention. Not to David- to the lesson. The faster he got back on track, the faster he would be able to get out of these stupid tutoring sessions and further away from David.

 

“Hello, my lovely students!” David beamed, placing his hands on his sharp hips as he tends to do. “Today is make-up day. So whatever make-up work you have, I will gladly help you all with! And don’t worry- there aren’t many of you today so I’ll be able to help each of you one-on-one.”

 

Max internally screamed and externally shoved his face in his hands with an exasperated sigh. He shoved his earbuds in his ears and took out his notebook, beginning to work while David went from desk to desk checking on students and helping others. After only a few minutes, he came up behind Max and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the boy’s head to turn much to quickly as he looked up at David. He sighed and pulled out his headphones and muttered, “What?”

 

“I know you haven’t raised your hand but do you need any help, Max?”

 

David was smiling down on him much too eagerly and it was aggravating Max to an extent. He rolled his eyes and turned away to continue working. “No, I’m fine.”

 

“Alrighty then! If you need anything, just ask.” He ruffled Max’s hair and left before the bitter boy could yell at him. Instead he just ran a hand through his fluffy mane and blushed a bit, looking around to make sure no one else saw that. David looked down at his hand as he walked back to his desk, wondering why on earth he did that. He also began to wonder how Max’s hair could possibly be so soft, and why that even mattered at all right now.

 

* * *

 

Max was once again the last student left, but this time he was well aware. He was stuck on a certain question for the past ten minutes and refused to asked for David’s help in front of his peers. David came over and crouched down beside Max’s desk, (why was he so tall?) smiling at the teen and glancing at the paper. “Need help, Max?”

 

“Uh, yeah.”

 

“Alright, kiddo, what’s up?”

 

Max cringed at the nickname- ‘kiddo’. It reminded him just how weird it was to have a crush on your teacher. Not to mention how weird David was on a whole. He sighed and held his face up with his hand, looking down at his paper and pointing at the difficult question with his pencil. “I don’t get what I’m supposed to do here.” He muttered, giving David an apathetic, sideways glance.

 

“Okay, let me explain.”

 

David helped Max with the question, walking him through it step by step. He was overjoyed when Max finally grasped the concept and had little to no trouble explaining the process to David. He could have even swore he saw Max smile just a bit when they were done and it made the man’s heart flutter. He stood and ruffled Max’s hair before heading back to his desk. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Max.” He said before working on grading some papers.

  


Max began to pack up, glancing over at David every few seconds, a growing anxiety filling his chest as he wondered why he felt the way he did about this imbecile. It obviously wouldn’t work out, so why bother? But he had to get this off of his chest. _God, no, that’s a stupid idea._ He stands and walks toward the door with his bag on one shoulder. He stops before he can open it, though, thinking things over for a mere second before turning and stomping toward David’s desk, standing right at the midpoint between the desk and door. David turns to Max and blinks, standing with a smile and walking over to be about a few feet away from Max.

 

“What’s up, kiddo?”

 

“Don’t call me ‘kiddo’.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is something wrong, Max?”

 

“I like you.”

  
“Oh- um...I like you, too, Max!” Max blinks, surprised and David’s voice lowers to a whisper. “Between you and me, you’re one of my favorite students!” He keeps that stupid smile on his face and Max glares. “No, you idiot.” He steps closer to the teacher, causing him to instinctively steep back, now leaning against the desk with nowhere to go. Max drops his bag and places both hands on the desk behind David, trapping him and causing his face to flush before adding, “I _like_ you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to wait to post this chapter since it was already done, and chapter 3 should be up later or tomorrow. Per usual, let me know what you think and leave comments/kudos if you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading.


	3. Dirty Little Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter has mild sexual content (basically just heated make outs) so just a forewarning. Have fun.

_I like you_

Those simple words continued to ring in David’s ears as Max grew closer, staring into his eyes with bright green, narrowed, unreadable ones.David felt his face growing increasingly warm as he looked down at his student- his student who was...confessing to him? In such an inappropriate manner! Most students would bring him chocolates or write him a note. Never in his years as a teacher had he had a student back him up against his own desk, obviously breaking student-teacher boundaries, and confess to him like this. Nor had a student ever made him blush this much. But that was beside the point.

 

“Max, this is very inappropriate behavior. You’re just a child and-”

 

Max pressed his chest against David’s, tiptoeing so that he could meet his gaze, causing the man to blush feverishly. “I’m eighteen, not twelve. I know what I’m doing and I know what I want. I like you. If you don’t like me, tell me now, but if you’re gonna give me some dumb speech about student-teacher relations, I’m calling bullshit right now.”

 

“M-Max...I don’t- I don’t think you understand.” David glanced at the door and back at Max who was glaring and about to speak. “You may be a legal adult, but there is a fairly large age gap between us, not to mention, I am your teacher-”

 

“Shut up.” David did as he was told, blushing more and swallowing hard. “Do you like me? Simple question. Yes or no.”

 

“Well, yes, but-”

 

“As a student? Or more than that?” David looked surprised when he noticed that Max’s eyes were genuinely curious, softer, and even somewhat sad.

 

“I- um...well…”

 

“Well?”

 

“Well...it doesn’t matter! Because I’m your teacher, Max! And like I said before, this is very inappropriate behavior for a teacher and student!”

 

Max glared and David gulped nervously, hesitating before opening his mouth to apologize but Max stopped him by pressing his own mouth to David’s, causing the older male to tense up. Max’s lips were warm and surprisingly soft and soon enough David had melted into the kiss. Just as he had finally relaxed, he tensed again, squeaking into Max’s mouth when the younger slipped his tongue into his teacher’s mouth. Max was still on his tiptoes but had moved one hand from the desk to rest on David’s back and pressed himself against him as he explored the other’s mouth, earning a few content sounds that made Max’s stomach flip.

David brought a hand up to Max’s cheek and caressed it gently as Max on the other hand sucked roughly on David’s bottom lip, earning a moan from the teacher. The teen slowly moved to kiss David’s cheek, pecking his jawline, and nibbling at his neck, all the while the flushed man panted and moaned weakly.

 

“M-Max…” It came out much more erotic than he’d hoped and he swallowed, bit his lip and inhaled sharply. “Max,” This time he was a bit more firm, “I can’t do this.”

 

Max narrowed his eyes but only for a moment before his gaze softened and he sighed, stepping back. “Whatever. I get it. Sorry.” He muttered, wrapping his arms around himself and looking down. David frowned and placed a hand on Max’s shoulder, causing the boy to flinch ever so slightly.

 

“I’m sorry, Max.”

 

Max looked up at him with a hint of sadness in his eyes and hesitated before speaking. “Do you think I could kiss you one more time?” David blinked and gave a nervous smile, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head and replying. “Uh, sure, I suppose. As long as-”

 

Max’s lips were on his before he could finish speaking and this kiss was just as passionate as the first, which is what David was just about to warn against. Max placed his hands on David’s hips and leaned up to kiss him properly, grazing his tongue along the roof of the other’s mouth which caused the man to shudder. Max contained the smirk that threatened to intrude on their kiss and nipped at his lower lip, earning a whimper from David. The shorter male slowly slipped his hands up David’s shirt causing the other to yelp and shudder as he did so.

 

“Ah- Max!” He whimpered, feeling Max’s hands graze over the sensitive nubs on his chest. He felt so vulnerable all of a sudden, so weak with this boy’s hands on his body, with the soft lips on his own. He couldn’t push him away- couldn’t say no. He couldn’t tell himself that this was wrong when every fiber in his being was screaming at him to go down this path. But, suddenly the lips and hands were gone from his body and he was left leaning against the desk, panting and blushing bright red.

 

Max grinned at him and picked up his bag, looking him over before turning toward the door. “See ya tomorrow, _Mr. David_.” He said almost tauntingly before turning away completely and leaving the room, leaving David in a state of complete shock and arousal. He furrowed his brows and covered his face with his palm, inhaling deeply.

 

“What have I gotten myself into?”

 

* * *

 

Tomorrow came too soon and David looked very unlike himself. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all and he was much too internally preoccupied to focus on the Cold War. He’d been corrected at least four times in the first forty-five minutes of class on his own lesson and every time Max glanced at him he’d tense up, much to the teen’s amusement. Max on the other hand, was actually getting work done. He didn’t seem to be the least bit phased by the previous day’s turn of events. In fact, he seemed to be in the best mood of his life.

 

Nikki leaned over to Max’s desk and tugged on his sleeve, staring at him with wide eyes. “Dude, are you okay? You’re actually _working._  And…” Pause for dramatic effect. “ _Smiling._ ” She whispered the last word as if it were taboo. She was right, though. Max had a small but obviously cocky grin plastered on his face. He leaned back nonchalantly in his chair, tapping his pencil on his desk before responding.

 

“I guess tutoring has been helping.”

 

Nikki gave him a blank, confused stare before a wide smirk slowly formed on her face. “Did you and Mr. David fu-”

 

“Nikki!” Max’s grin faded in a less than a second and he clapped a hand over Nikki’s mouth, efficiently shutting her up before realizing how bad an idea that was after she licked his palm. “Eck!” He snatched his hand away and wiped it on his jeans, glaring at the cackling tealette.

 

“Okay but did you?”

 

“No, Nikki.”

 

“Are you lying?”

 

“No, Nikki.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“No, Nik- wait- yes. Jeez, why are you so stuck on this?” Max glanced at his work and then at the clock, closing his notebook and giving up on getting anything else done considering there were less than five minutes left of class.

 

“Because! I know you like him. And now he’s acting all weird. Maybe he likes you back!”

 

Max felt his cheeks warm up and he rolled his eyes dismissively. “Or maybe, just maybe, he had a bad night.” The bell rang and students began bolting out of the classroom while Nikki and Max had just begun packing up.

 

“Max, I need to see you after class.” David said dryly without even looking up from his desk. Nikki and Max exchanged a glance and Nikki chuckled, zipping up her bag and smirking knowingly.

 

“Or maybe, just maybe, you’re _lying_.” And with that she left before Max could say anything else and he was left in the classroom with only David. He walked over to the man’s desk, leaving his bag in his chair and shoving his hands in the pocket on his hoodie.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“We need to talk, Max.”

 

“About what?”

 

Silence. David slowly looked up at the boy, his cheeks red and his face stern. It sent a chill up Max’s spine but he kept his cool demeanor. They both stayed there for a few uncomfortably quiet moments before David took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak. He quickly closed it however, biting his lower lip and carefully contemplating the words that would come out of his mouth.

 

“I just hope you know that I will not tolerate inappropriate advances from a student under any circumstances. Yesterday’s...incident cannot happen again.”

 

Max’s face faltered and he looked almost disappointed but he quickly regained his composition and narrowed his eyes, slipping his hands out of his pockets and slamming them on the desk. David’s eyes went wide and he blinked, surprised at Max’s reaction. “I don’t understand.” The younger, obviously angry male started, “You liked it. You like me. Right?”

 

“Max...that’s not the point. The point is-”

 

“That’s exactly the point. I want you, you want me. What’s the problem?” Max scoffed and grinned at David, though internally he wanted to throw something.

 

“The problem is, Max, I can get into big trouble for this.”

 

“Do I look like I’m gonna go around bragging about it? Nobody’s gonna find out, moron.”

 

Max leaned over the desk, grin widening as David’s face flushed and his eyes grew large. The teacher looked away nervously and bit down on his lower lip harshly. Max seemed to grow more encouraged by his body language and leaned in to kiss him, only to have David jerk back, swallowing the lump of anxiety in his throat. Max glared at the nervous, trembling man and cupped his chin in his hand as he softened his expression to something more seductive.

 

“Come on, _David_.” The ginger felt goosebumps chill his skin and he froze in Max’s grasp, feeling as though his whole body was melting by the hand of this student.

 

“Max, please...You know I can’t.”

 

“Why are you such a pussy?”

 

“W-what?”

 

“Haven’t you ever done anything wrong? Broken a rule? Done something behind someone’s back?”

 

“Um…” David thought about it, looking away. Of course he’d broken rules before- and he knew exactly what Max was getting at. But he just couldn’t find it in himself to go against everything that was saying no, and it was so hard with Max standing here so persuasively trying to convince him to say yes.

 

“No one has to know, David.” He leaned in closer so that their noses brushed and David could feel Max’s breath on his lips. The older male stared down at his lips, racking his brain for the right answer. He knew this was wrong- he knew he shouldn’t but no matter how hard he tried nothing he told himself could stop him from welcoming those soft lips openly and eagerly.

 

He broke away after a few moments, breathless and flushed before whispering, “No one has to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave comments/kudos please and thank you, I love hearing what everyone thinks!


	4. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, chapter 3 was supposed to be the end, but I had like 2 people say I should continue and I'm so easily swayed that I just had to. There are mentions of abuse in this chapter as there tends to be when Max's parent's are involved. No actual abuse or parents though, it's just implied. With that said, enjoy!

“So, Max~. Do you have a valentine~?”

 

“Of course I do, Nikki.”

 

“Really?! Who?”

 

Max turned to the tealette with the most expressionless eyes and a smirk. “Your mom.” Nikki scoffed and punched Max in the arm. “Real mature, Max.”

 

“I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Neil interjected with a nonchalant shrug.

 

Nikki thought for a moment and shrugged as well. “I mean, yeah, but still.”

The conversation had officially shifted to Nikki’s mother and Max had officially zoned out thinking about what he was actually going to do for Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t like he had a significant other- he wasn’t dating David. They were just….screwing around. This thought process brought him to the sudden question of whether or not David was dating anyone. He couldn’t be. He would have told Max way before hand. Right?

 

“I swear to God, your mom’s tits have got to be fake.” Neil argued with Nikki as Max got up, causing both to turn before the female could object.

 

“Where are you going?” Nikki questioned, narrowing her eyes at Max.

 

“I gotta go see a teacher.” He responded monotonically, rushing off before either of his comrades could question him further. Valentine’s Day was tomorrow so hopefully he still had time. He headed to Mr. D’s classroom, peeking through the window on the door to see if he was there and sighing in relief when he saw that stupid tuft of auburn hair. He turned the knob to see if the door was unlocked and it opened  with ease. David looked up, a bit surprised, and cleared his throat.

 

“Hello, Max! Can I help you with something?”

 

“Cut the shit David. We’ve been at this for months and you still act like this place is bugged every time I come around.”

 

The older male blushed and looked off to the side timidly as Max came toward him. “Calm down, I didn’t come here for sex.” David blinked and looked up at Max, calming a bit but still obviously nervous. Max leaned against the desk and continued, “You’re not dating anybody, are you?” He questioned, focusing on picking at his fingernails instead of looking at David. This caught the teacher by surprise.

 

“Well, no, but-”

 

“Relax, I’m not asking you out.” Narrowed, radioactive green eyes caught hold of soft, evergreen ones and Max sighed before continuing. “I just wanted to make sure you...you know…” He lowered his voice, mumbling almost inaudibly, “Didn’t have a valentine or whatever.”

 

It took David a moment to determine what Max had said, especially considering he could barely hear him. When he did, however, his cheeks went red and he smiled wide. “Oh, Max! Do you want to be my valentine? That’s so sweet!” David exclaimed, eyes sparkling up at the teen leaning against his desk. He’d had his fair share of students giving him Valentine’s day cards and whatnot, but this was different. This was Max; and to be fair, he wasn’t sure how to handle this situation. But David found it extremely sweet that Max wanted to be his Valentine.

 

“No!” Max stood straight and balled up his fists at his sides, causing David’s eyes to go wide. He cleared his throat and placed one hand on his hip and the other on the desk super casually. “No. Valentine’s Day is fucking stupid and so are you if you think I need someone to spend it with.”

 

David’s smile faltered for a moment but quickly returned. Max was very independent- he doesn’t need a valentine! And it wouldn’t make sense for them to be together for the day anyway. It wasn’t like they could go on a date or give each other presents. Oh no, there goes David’s smile again. He looked down, contemplative and a bit sad. He really shouldn’t be so concerned about this.

 

Suddenly the door opens and Max practically leaps off of the desk, standing straight as the click clack of shiny black heels make their way across the linoleum floor. A curvy woman with a gray blazer and matching pencil skirt glances at Max suspiciously through her glasses; her dyed red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was one of the younger, more attractive teachers but Max assumed her exhausted, bitter personality was the reason she was still single.

 

“Hey, Ms.G.” He says casually, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket and glancing at her.

 

“Hey, Max. Am I interrupting something?” She asked with a tone that implied that she didn’t really care whether she was interrupting or not.

 

“Nah.” He glanced at David once more before turning toward the door, “I was just asking a question about the homework. I’m outta here.” He then walked out, closing the door behind him and muttering to himself angrily as he wandered the school until lunch was over.

 

Gwen sighed and took off her glasses, crossing her arms and looking down at David. “I can’t stand that little shit. I’ve given him detention like 3 times this month and he still won’t stop fighting with his classmates or throwing pencils at me.” David looked a bit surprised. Max? Fighting? The pencil thing, he could definitely see that, but fighting?

 

“Wait, Max is fighting? Why?”

 

“He just sort of yells at the kids until they cry. It’s a kind of sad-funny, you know?” David looked confused and Gwen continued. “Someone says something that sets him off - I rarely even hear it - and he just...flips. He’s like a fucking bomb.”

 

“Language, Gwen. This is a learning environment.”

 

“David, I’m an adult. And there’s no kids here for fuck’s sake.” She laughs and rolls her eyes, moving to sit in a student’s desk in front of David’s. “Honestly, though, I’m kind of worried. With some of the things he says I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these kids tried to off themselves. He goes straight to the core, rips  out their hearts, fills them with his darkest most hateful words, and then shoves them right back in.” She had her hand clenched in a trembling fist in front of her, brows furrowed as she spoke in a deep voice that freaked David out a little bit.

 

“Do you have any idea why he’s been behaving like this..?”

 

“I personally think it’s his home life. I know it’s a cliché, but hear me out. His parents didn’t come to open house- they might have been busy, okay, I get that. But he never gets anything signed- maybe they’re busy, maybe he’s lazy, who knows?” David was confused and a bit concerned, but he let her speak.

 

“The few times I’ve tried to talk to him about his behavior he always goes to the family aspect. He always tells me ‘They’re too spoiled.’ or ‘Their parents love them too much.’ David, he asked me if my parents ever hit me. You know what I come from; that hit home. But I’m worried about him, because maybe his parents do hit him, David. Maybe I shouldn’t be assuming things, maybe he’s just being a cocky little shit, but you know we gotta take this stuff seriously.”

 

David was shell shocked at the slightest idea that Max could possibly be having family problems. The thought terrified him; he wanted to protect Max with everything he had. “I’ll talk to him.” He said, trying to be stern but unable to hide the tremor in his voice.

 

“Are you sure? I could go to administrator.”

 

“No.” David looked up at her, a bit more assertive. “He’ll never tell an administrator. And he’ll hate you if you do that.” Gwen simply shrugged and stood with a sigh, putting her glasses back on.

 

“Alright. Try not to piss him off.”

 

David nodded and Gwen left the room, leaving David alone until the bell rang only a few moments later signaling the end of lunch. Now he just had to figure out how on earth he would confront Max about this topic.

 

* * *

 

The next day (Valentine’s Day wowie) Max stayed after for tutoring, per usual. His grades were getting somewhat better- he passed all of his quizzes but he refused to do his homework and half-assed his classwork. While he wouldn’t verbally admit that he was keeping his grades low on purpose, (how else would he still be going to tutoring?) David was well aware. The teacher called him over as he walked in and Max stood in front of him, raising his brow.

 

“What?”

 

“I need you to stay after today.”

 

“Isn’t that what I’m doing?”

 

“No I mean-” David sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “After tutoring.”

 

“I know, I’m just screwin’.” The younger chuckled and headed to his seat.

 

It was a review day, and David went over a previous lesson on the whiteboard while the students took notes. The session ended uneventfully, Max staying after to finish up some work. _Damn, these kids must think_ **_I’m_ ** _the moron with how often I stay after._ He thought to himself, smirking as the last student left. He waited a few moments before getting up and locking the door, much to David’s surprise. Max figured he’d be used to it by now.

 

“You don’t usually ask me to stay after. What’s up? You calling the shots now, _Daddy_?”

 

David choked on nothing but oxygen as Max drew closer, stopping to laugh into his hand.

 

“Max!” The man half-whispers, half-shouts, blushing furiously as he stares at Max in shock. He rubs his temples and looks down, sighing and mumbling, “My Lord, I very well could be your father…”

 

“I mean I doubt it…” Max began counting on his fingers and David took note of this, scoffing. “Fourteen.” He informed the boy before he could finish.

 

“Well, I doubt you were getting any at fourteen so your argument is invalid.”

 

“That’s beside the point, Max. Please don’t call me...that…”

 

“Why? You’re obviously into it-”

 

“Max, I didn’t ask you to stay after for anything like that.” The smirk faded from Max’s face and he crossed his arms, a tad displeased.

 

“What is it then?”

 

“Um...how are things?”

 

“What?”

 

“At home, I mean.”

 

Max was quite obviously taken aback, eyes wide and confused. He quickly composed himself and retained his cool demeanor. “Fine. Good. Fucking great.” He gave a small grin and stared deep into David’s eyes, causing the man to tense up a bit. He placed a hand on the desk and leaned closer. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Uh- no reason. Just curious. I know sometimes things can be tough at home, and well, I just want you to know you can always come to me-”

 

“Are you saying this cause I’m your student or your boy toy? Cause I don’t need help from a teacher or a fuck buddy. See you tomorrow, Mr. D.” Max grabbed his things and bolted before David could think of anything else to say. David felt horrible, pressing his palms to his face and leaning his elbows up on his desk as he wondered what he could  have done differently. Max’s words had hurt and he hadn’t helped the boy in the slightest. What was the point of saying anything at all? As Max trudged to the student parking lot with tears stinging his eyes he felt overwhelming regret wash over him.

  
  
_What the fuck have I done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna keep telling you guys to leave feedback 'cause I love you guys. <3


	5. Yellow Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack I'm sorry I took forever with this chapter guys! I spent so much time writing during the hurricane and as soon as school started I didn't know how to manage my time. So chapters will most likely be updated slower now, but I'll still be updating!

Max had been fuming when he got to his car, but by the time he got home he was cool as ice. His parents weren’t home from work yet, thank goodness. He didn’t want to deal with their shit right now. He sighed, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator and heading upstairs. They had a pretty big house and they were quite well off. Max had every material necessity a teenage boy could ever want, which gave his parents an excuse to call him ungrateful or selfish or spoiled every chance they got. And it hurt- when he was ten. But now, he was numb to it. What he wasn’t numb to was his mother’s harsh slap when he ignored her or spoke out because “children are meant to be seen and not heard” and “eighteen means nothing in this house”.

 

But he wasn’t one to complain. And he definitely wasn’t one to tell his teacher/fuck toy that he was being abused or some shit. He hated referring to David that way - as a fling or something - but it helped him disconnect. He knew he’d never actually have a future with David. The man was his teacher for fuck’s sake, and as much as he’d hoped for some miracle to give him a long-lasting relationship with this dorky, stupid, childishly happy man he knew it was impossible.

 

He opened his backpack to take out his homework as some sort of distraction but the moment he looked inside he clenched his teeth and started crying. _Fuck._ He glared down at the small, crushed bouquet of yellow roses and a smaller box of assorted chocolates. _Fucking pathetic. Wow. You forgot to give him the shit_ **_and_ ** _you snapped on him. Nice job Max- I’m proud of you._ He cried harder, his stomach twisting with a sick feeling as he turned to the wall, throwing his fist straight at it, leaving an indent.

 

Max backed up against the opposite wall and fell to the floor, curling in on himself and looking at his right hand and watching as his knuckles began to bleed. _You’re just like her._ His hands were trembling and the tears wouldn’t stop burning his cheeks. _You’re angry. You’re selfish. You hurt people._ He folded his arms over his knees and rested his forehead on top, sobbing.

 

He barely heard the car pull up in the driveway or the slamming of the front door downstairs. He didn’t respond when his mother called for him and when she came upstairs to check on him, she saw the hole in his wall and immediately blew up.

 

“Max! What the hell is this?! I come home from work and you think this is what I want to see?” Max sniffled and wiped his eyes as his mother continued to yell. He tried zoning her out, scowling at the ground and letting his thoughts wander to anything else. Suddenly he felt a petite hand in his hair and he was jerked off of the floor and shoved against the wall so quickly he barely realized what had happened.  He simply glared at his mother as she grabbed his face tightly, perfectly manicured nails digging into soft, tan flesh.

 

“You’re paying for this, you little shit.” She spat, her words piercing and hot like a snake’s venomous bite. She tossed his face away as if it were trash and made her way out of the room, yelling about her pest of a son. He stood there and listened to her complain, just looking off to the side as he felt his eyes sting with the threat of tears.

 

* * *

 

After hours of contemplating the night before, Max decided he’d give David his belated Valentine’s Day gifts. He sat in his usual seat, anxiously tapping his foot. He had David first hour, so he’d have to wait until the end of the day to give him the gifts. He was lost in thought when the door opened and a man strikingly similar to David (save for his white button-up shirt, jeans, and shoes and the fact that his spiked up hair was blond rather than auburn)  walked in with a bouquet of various flowers. David blinked, surprised and stared at him with the tip of his Expo marker still pressed against the board.

 

Max was just as confused as David seemed to be. At first he’d figured that he was there to hand out Valentine’s flower grams from to the kids in his class, but usually they had a student representative do that, and this guy did not look like a student. Not to mention he was holding a bouquet- not a handful of one type of flower.

 

“Hey, David.” The stranger’s smile widened and Max’s eyes narrowed. He was beginning to understand the situation.

 

“Um, hi.” David smiled back nervously. “Why don’t you take a seat in the empty chair beside my desk?” The stranger took the suggestion, sitting down with the bouquet in his lap and eyeing over the array of students. His eyes fell on Max and his wide grin was met with a scowl, causing the man to blink and simply grin wider. Max prayed this douche face was David’s brother or something. They looked pretty similar- only blondie didn’t have those ~~adorable~~ lame ass freckles, and he was paler than David with less of a red tint to his elbows, a much redder nose and icy blue eyes instead of kind, bright green ones.

 

Once David had finished going over the lesson, he wrote down a bunch of numbers on the board- the textbook pages and questions of the assignment, he sat down at his desk and began speaking to his guest in a hushed whisper. Max had to take his headphones out to even attempt to listen to their conversation, and even then he only got bits and pieces.

 

Once class had ended Max watched and waited for blondie to leave and when he didn’t, the teen grew agitated, tapping his foot on the tile floor as the two talked behind the desk. David looked up, seeming to have not even noticed Max and smiled wide, blushing lightly. “Oh, Max! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Did you need something?”

 

“Yeah. It’s fine I’ll wait until you’re free.” He said, giving the blond man a displeased glance as he leaned against the wall.  

 

“Oh, well, uh-”

 

“It’s fine, David. I should be leaving. I apologize for interrupting your class. Perhaps if you aren’t doing anything after school-”

 

“That’s actually what I needed to talk to David about.”

 

“Oh?” The stranger gave Max a curious glance and the boy continued. “I need to stay after school today. Gotta make up that test, remember?” He asked, staring coldly into David’s eyes. The teacher looked between the two, mildly confused and almost scared before realization finally hit him.

 

“Oh, yes! I’m so sorry, Daniel, but Max has to make up a test for me after school and I don’t know how long that might take.” He said, kindly rejecting the man and shaking his leg nervously. Daniel stared at David and then at Max before turning back to David with a wide and somewhat unsettling grin.

 

“That’s fine. You have my number, so text me whenever you’re free.” He stood to leave, heading to the door and glancing over at Max once more. “Good luck on your test,  Max.” He said condescendingly before leaving. Max waited, glaring at the door and making sure he’d left before stomping over to David’s desk.

 

“Who the _fuck_ is that?”

 

“Max, watch your language, please.”

 

“David, who is that?” He placed both hands on the desk and leaned in, glaring and lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. “You told me you weren’t dating anybody.”

 

“And I’m not. He’s an ex.” David looked off to the side, and Max felt something inside of him shrivel up and die.

 

“Why’d he bring you flowers?”

 

David was silent for a moment before sighing and speaking. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Max.”

 

“We’re way past that, teach’.”

 

“He wants to get back together. But I’m not sure.”  His leg was shaking again and he was gnawing at his bottom lip anxiously. He inhaled deeply through his nose and looked up at Max. “You don’t have a test to take after school, Max.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Why did you lie?”

 

Max hesitated; he couldn’t remember why he actually lied until he recalled Daniel’s bouquet sitting on the desk and became infuriated. He bottled it in, though, per usual and expressed it through passive aggression. “Oh, yeah. I forgot to give you something.” He slipped his bag off of his shoulders and unzipped it, taking out a freshly bought bouquet of the same yellow roses that had been damaged in his backpack the day before and the box of chocolates, decorated with a crimson ribbon. He tossed them onto the desk and stared at David with frigid eyes. “Happy Valentine’s day.” He said finally as he zipped up his bag and left the room to head to his next class.

 

David looked down at the flowers and chocolate, tears threatening to spill from his eyes before he was suddenly jolted out of his pity party by the class bell. He blinked away the tears and stood, taking a deep breath and carefully putting the gifts away in his desk drawer before heading to the door to allow his next class in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the idea of introducing Daniel as a conflict of interest from Tsuyoshi_Chin! Thank you so much for the idea; I didn't follow it exactly but I hope I did it justice with my interpretation! 
> 
> I appreciate you all so much and I absolutely love when you guys leave feedback on my work! It means the world!! Thank you all, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story! <3


	6. The Grass Isn't Always Greener

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not updating in so long, lovelies! School has been hell but I've finally finished this chapter and I'm working on chapter 7 now. I don't want this story to be too long so I'll probably end it in the next few chapters.   
> Thank you all for the lovely comments and I'm sorry if I didn't get to all of them, but I appreciate all of you with every bit of my heart! <3

David had gone home that night and brought Max’s gifts with him. He sat in his living room, with the items on the coffee table, just staring at them thoughtfully. His eyes filled with tears and he sniffled; he felt so helpless and lost in this situation. He couldn’t deny that he felt something for Max- well he could, in public at least. But he couldn’t lie to himself.  He wanted more than anything to put the flowers in a nice vase with fresh water, but he couldn’t keep that constant reminder of Max out in the open, taunting him. Begrudgingly, he grabbed the bouquet and stood, walking over to the trash can and shoving them inside as the tears flowed freely. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his dress shirt and sniffled again. He headed to the shower, the one place he could cry in comfort and wash away all of his negative emotions.

 

Max on the other hand, wasn’t upset at all. Or, at least that’s what he continued to tell himself. It seemed to be working for the most part. He simply laid on his bed, blasting music from his radio like an angsty teen. He didn’t feel like eating tonight so he pocketed the cash that his father left for food and retired to his room. He was just falling asleep when his door swung open and the yelling started. He wasn’t even surprised anymore when she bolted in here like a psycho killer or something, he didn’t flinch anymore. He just sighed and sat up slowly. 

 

“Do you not realize how loud this shit is? Turn it down! You’re so damn inconsiderate!” He rolled his eyes at his mother and lowered the volume on his radio, but she only got angrier at him, rambling about disrespect. “Go ahead, roll your eyes one more time. I’ll rip those things out of your head.” 

 

“No need for violence.” Max muttered, looking off and trying to hide his grin. Suddenly there was a sharp sting on the side of his face and he narrowed his eyes at the woman. “Watch yourself, brat.” She hissed, turning on her heel and leaving. Max rubbed his cheek and muttered to himself about what a bitch his mother was, leaning over to shut the radio and throwing himself back on the bed.

 

The next day Max walked into class quietly, per usual, but unfortunately enough, Mr. D had noticed the bruise and scratches on his cheek from his mother’s vicious slap. “Max.” David waved him over with a small, obviously nervous smile. Max sighed, rolled his eyes, and headed up to the desk. 

 

“What?”

 

“Um, how are you doing, Max?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Okay...I noticed you got hurt.” David locked his eyes on Max’s cheek and the boy just kept his scowl fixed on the teacher’s face. “Is everything okay?” 

 

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Max scoffed and shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket. “I was dicking around in a tree and I fell.” 

 

“I don’t mean to pry but- on your face?” David smiled half heartedly, raising a brow. “Listen, Max, if anything is going on at home you can talk to me. I really-,” Max scoffed and rolled his eyes before replying confidently. 

 

“Calm down, David-”

 

“Call me Mr. D, please.”

 

“I have a ton of other scratches but I’m not going to show you. That’d be a bit weird, don’t you think?” Max raised a brow and smirked, waving his hands over his body to emphasize the fact that he was wearing long sleeves and jeans, per usual.

 

“I...suppose you’re right. Sorry for bothering you, Max.” David smiled apologetically and Max simply nodded before making his way to his seat. 

 

Nikki was already in her desk, chin in her hand and a large, cocky grin plastered on her face. “So what was  _ that  _ about?” 

 

Max turned his face to show Nikki his cheek and her eyes widened. “Woah, dude, did you get attacked by a badger or something?” 

 

“No, dumbass. Mom was just being a cunt and didn’t like my ‘attitude’.” 

 

Nikki sighed and shook her head. “When does she ever like your ‘attitude’?

 

“Good point.” Max chuckled, turning toward the front of the classroom as David began to teach. Max couldn’t concentrate on the lesson, his mind too preoccupied with ways to apologize to or avoid David. He decided on apologize, he wasn’t going to be petty about this. But he still wasn’t sure how he’d do it. 

 

Before he knew it class was over and Nikki was getting ready to bolt before the bell even rang. He started packing up the books and his impatient friend began to groan. “Maaaax. Hurry uuuuup.” 

 

“Uh, I’m gonna try to get some makeup work, Nik. Don’t wait up.” He waved her off and she simply groaned again. “Whatever, lame-o. I gotta get to lunch. Later!” She rushed out with the rest of the class, leaving Max alone with David.

 

Max took his bag and walked up to David’s desk while the man focused on grading papers. Max cleared his throat, raising a confused brow at the lack of attention he was getting. David looked up slowly and gave a small smile.

 

“Yes, Max?”

 

Max stared for a long moment before taking a deep breath and speaking. “David, I wanted to apologize.” The ginger looked a bit confused but Max continued, looking down at the desk instead of at the man. “I’m sorry about Valentine’s day. I was confrontational and rude and basically a giant douche.” 

 

“Oh, Max...I appreciate your apology. But your behavior was very inappropriate. I can’t accept any more of these advances. I’m sorry.” David was looking off to the side and Max knew he didn’t mean what he said. He wasn’t about to fight though. He simply shrugged and turned on his heel to leave. “My bad, Mr. Teacher Man. Won’t happen again.” He gave an incredibly forced grin and headed out of the classroom to lunch. 

 

The next few weeks were dreadful. Max had stopped going to tutoring, stopped paying attention, and even started sleeping in class - but to be fair he wasn’t getting any sleep at home due to constantly worrying about David. Speaking of which, Max was staring. Again. He’d been doing a lot of that lately, staring at David. He couldn’t help it. Not when those shimmering, emerald eyes looked so dull and tired or when those rosy cheeks looked so pale, and especially not when he smiled that same old smile with so much more force and so much less joy. 

 

Somehow Max seemed to be the only person who noticed all of this. All of these things that made David himself were disappearing with each passing day and it made him sick. He’d realized something in the more recent time he was watching David. He realized that he had destroyed that happy-go-lucky facade; everything about this David was fake. His laugh, his smile, his attitude. It was all forced and Max needed to know why. Better yet, he needed to know why it bothered him so much. This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? To see the “real” David. To see him break. But now that he’d seen it, he wanted the old David back. This wasn’t the real David- it couldn’t be. He refused to believe that. 

 

Once class had ended, Max stayed after for the first time in a long time. He noticed David staring at at him for a mere second before looking away and he slowly made his way over to the desk. 

 

“David.”

 

David lacked the will to even look up at Max, but he responded at least. “Yes, Max?”

 

“I’m sorry.” 

 

He was looking at the boy now, eyebrows furrowed in concern. He opened his mouth to ask why but he felt the familiar feeling of warm lips on his own. This kiss was much different than its predecessors, however. It was much softer and calmer, more patient, more gentle. David’s eyes widened and began to fill with tears just as Max slipped away, looking into his eyes sadly. 

 

“I hate to admit it, but the too-happy-for-your-own-good look suits you better than the depressed look.” Max smirked and David simply blushed and looked away, biting his lip. 

 

“Max, please. This is-,” 

 

“David, come on. You can’t keep avoiding this. I know how you feel. Better yet, you know how I feel. Well, you should at least. I’m not going to be in high school forever. I graduate soon and when that happens…” Max trailed off, grasping David’s hands in his own and looking down at them thoughtfully.

 

“I care for you, Max. I do, really. But this...all of this is so bad...I can’t risk everything for this.” He squeezed Max’s hands gently and sighed, frowning deeply. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and it opened up. David snatched his hands away from Max’s quickly, and looked toward the door, wide-eyed. 

 

“Hey, David.” Ms. G smiled as she click-clacked over to the man. She smiled at Max who stared blankly at her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Hello, Max. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She said, raising her eyebrow and giving Max that fake smile that she gave all of her students. Max opened his mouth to speak but David chimed in before he could. 

 

“Well, Max and I were just discussing his grades. He’s been having a bit of a hard time.” He forced a smile and turned to Max. “We can continue this discussion later, alright? You head off to lunch.” Max looked at David and then to Gwen before shrugging his shoulders and muttering a simple, “Whatever.” He took his bag and left, leaving the two instructors alone. 

 

Gwen stared at David for a long while, furrowing her brows at him as he stared back nervously. It was as if she was searching him for an answer to a question she’d yet to even ask. “So…” She started plainly, leaning back against a desk and letting her expression soften. “What were you  _ actually  _ talking about?” 

 

David simply looked guilty, fidgeting and laughing that forced laugh like people do when they’re guilty of something. “Nothing, Gwen. Why do you ask?” The young woman stared at him again, her eyes knowing and her expression unamused. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. 

 

“David, I love you, you know that. You’re an angel, a sweetheart. But, please, please tell me you’re not screwing a student.”

“Gwen!” David looked utterly shocked, and somewhat hurt. He wasn’t a very good actor, but the fact that Gwen would even jump to that conclusion (whether it was true or not) truly offended him. “I resent the accusation! I care for Max as I do for all of my students. No more, no less.” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away, his face somewhat red.

 

“I’m sorry, David. You’re right, I shouldn’t have assumed.” She chuckled awkwardly, shaking her head. “But you’ve been acting off lately, and Mas has been as well.” She frowned and cocked her head to the side, hoping for some sort of explanation. 

 

David looked down and sighed, biting his lip and looking up at Gwen. “Don’t tell Max I said this, but…”  _ God forgive me.  _ “He’s been having some issues at home, and they’ve been having a very negative effect on him and we were just trying to figure out a plan for how to get him back on track.” 

 

“Oh, gosh. I’m sorry, David. I didn’t even think of that.” She frowned sympathetically, and tapped her chin with her index finger. “It’s nothing too serious, is it? Do you think we’ll have to get child services involved?” 

 

David’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. “No, no. It’s nothing like that. He’s just going through a rough patch.” He gave a small, somewhat sad smile and looked off to the side.  _ Stop lying.  _

 

Gwen sighed, relieved and moved away from the desk. “Alright, well, as long as you’re helping him, I’m glad.” She turned to grab the bag behind her and handed it to David. “I almost forgot what I came here for. I brought you lunch.” She chuckled softly as the other smiled wide, setting the bag down on his desk. 

 

“Thank you, Gwen! You really are the best.” He beamed, not even bothering to look at what she bought for him. He didn’t have much of an appetite at this point, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. “No problem.” Gwen patted him on the shoulder and headed out of the classroom. “Enjoy!” She exclaimed just before the door closed behind her. 

 

David sat down in his chair and sighed deeply, covering his face with his hand as the guilt consumed him. It was like drowning in quicksand, and there was no one to pull him out. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, tapping on Daniel’s contact. He felt his gut twist with a nervous feeling and he pressed the call button, his body shaking like a chihuahua. 

 

“Hello?” 

 

“Hey, Daniel.” 

 

“David! We haven’t spoken in a while. I thought I scared you off. How are you?” 

“Do you want to come over tonight?”

 

“Excuse me?” 

 

David bit his lip, hesitating and pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed. “Would you like to come over tonight?” 

 

“Um, yeah. I’d love to, actually. How does six sound?”

 

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.” David hung up abruptly and smiled, a dry chuckle emitting from his lips. He hoped with every fiber of his being that this would help. He needed to get out, see people his age. He wouldn’t have any sort of future with Max, so why pursue it? It was reckless and David had always played by the book. Now was definitely the time to play by the rules.

 

David was setting the table when he heard the doorbell ring. He took off his apron and hung it up before rushing toward the door and opening up for Daniel. The blonde was dressed in a white button up and blue jeans, perfectly casual attire for a night in. 

 

“Howdy, David.” He beamed as the ginger allowed him inside. “I have to say, I was quite surprised when you invited me over.” 

 

David laughed and closed the door, leading Daniel to the table. “I hope it was a pleasant surprise.” 

 

“Of course!” Daniel sat down at the table, and David stepped into the kitchen. The apartment was quite small, perfectly fit for one person, and there was no barrier between the kitchen and dining room, so Daniel could watch his companion as he prepared their plates. 

 

David left the kitchen with two plates of grilled salmon with potatoes and asparagus. He then rushed back to retrieve the wine he had bought for the evening. “Wow, David. This looks amazing. I nearly forgot what a great cook you are.” Daniel beamed, waiting for the wine and the redhead. 

 

“Oh, please. You flatter me.” He chuckled and returned with two glasses and a bottle of fairly expensive wine. He placed the two glasses on the table and filled them before sitting down across from Daniel with a soft smile. 

 

“Good. You deserve to be flattered.” Daniel grinned, causing David’s cheeks to turn pink. He laughed with an air of nervousness and began eating. “I hope you enjoy.” He said before stuffing his face with salmon in an attempt to avoid conversation. 

 

After dinner David brought the plates to the kitchen and immediately put them in the dishwasher. “Would you like to watch a movie, Daniel?” He asked as he turned on the machine, suddenly feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders and flinching. 

 

“Well,” The blond started, leaning over David and grinning. “I actually wanted to know what you had for dessert.” David blushed furiously and turned to Daniel, swallowing the lump in his throat. 

 

“Uh, I have some ice cream.” He spoke shakily, looking toward the fridge and earning a laugh from the other. He cupped David’s chin and turning his face so he could kiss him. It was harsh and forceful and David froze up, unsure of what to do. Daniel pulled away after a moment, blushing and sighing. “Sorry.” 

 

He began to move away but David had made his decision. He grabbed Daniel by his collar and yanked him into another kiss, participating much more in this one. They migrated to the living room and Daniel shoved him onto the couch, leaving David shocked for only a moment before pinning him down and kissing him again.  _ This is good.  _ He thought as he felt hands all over his body, tugging and scratching.  _ This needs to happen.  _ He continued to internally motivate himself to do this, or rather, to let Daniel do this. It was the only way he’d get over Max. It was the only way they could all be happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys don't hate me too much. ;v; David is just an emotional wreck and he doesn't know what he's doing. Not much unlike me ayo.


	7. Crazy Exes and Suspicious Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I never update please forgive me. Happy Holidays everyone! My present to you: an update! <3

Once Daniel had left, with quite a bit of persuasion from David, the man walked wearily to the bathroom to shower. Having left his shirt in the living room he simply unbuttoned his pants and slipped them off, removing his underwear as well and turning on the hot water. He looked in the mirror at himself, covered in hickeys and bite marks. It made him feel sick. He ran his hands through his hair and curled them into fists around the auburn locks as he began to cry. He didn’t want to feel this way; he’d expected that having sex with Daniel would rid him of his guilt, of all of his mixed emotions, but it just brought more. He took a deep breath and stepped into the shower, simply wanting to cleanse himself. 

 

The next morning he got up, sore and exhausted both emotionally and physically but ready to start the day nonetheless. He went to the bathroom to wash up and his stomach turned when he saw the marks again. He sighed and searched the bathroom for concealer. Once it was found, it was dabbed all over the markings to cover them up, and it worked pretty well. No one would even know they were there, but David would know, and that flooded him with guilt and regret.

 

Max knew something was up nearly as soon as class started. David definitely wasn’t his normal, happy-go-lucky self, but he also wasn’t his sad, depressing, fake-ass self. He was jittery and obviously nervous about something. Max rolled his eyes as he watched the man fidget and stutter; he was definitely not getting involved. The teacher had made it pretty clear that he didn’t want anything to do with Max, so he had decided to back off completely. 

 

The period went by just as it should: uneventfully; Max left the classroom with Nikki, not even glancing at David before he left. David watched the boy leave and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Nothing was helping, nothing could change the thoughts in his head. They all consisted of Max and it needed to stop. He knew it was wrong, but the boy had burrowed into his heart and made a home there. After school he texted Gwen and invited her over for dinner. He really needed the company of a friend tonight. 

 

They talked and ate for a while before Gwen fell silent, causing David to worry a bit. They finished their food in silence and David went to wash the dishes, eyeing his friend carefully. “Everything alright, Gwen?” He asked, smiling comfortingly, trying to hide his anxieties. 

She sighed and got up, walking into the kitchen and leaning against the counter behind David. “What’s up with you? You’re not yourself.” She asked, her voice laced with concern and sympathy. 

 

“It’s nothing, Gwen. Really.” He turned back and smiled reassuringly, only serving to make Gwen frown.

 

“You know, David, you can tell me if something is on your mind. That’s what friends are for, right?” She insisted, smiling almost sadly. Just as David opened his mouth there was a knock at the door and he dried his hands, sharing a mutual look of confusion with Gwen. “Who’s that?”

 

“No idea…I’ll go see.” He replied, turning toward the door and heading over to check the peephole. “It’s Daniel.” He whispered to Gwen whose eyes went wide. “Daniel? What’s he doing here? Wait...is that it? You’re seeing him again?” She asked furrowing her brows and frowning with a look akin to disappointment. David sighed and mumbled, “It’s complicated.” before opening the door with a wide, fake smile.

 

There was Daniel, standing with a bottle of wine in one hand and a single red rose in the other. He held the rose out to David with a wide-eyed grin. 

 

“Daniel...Hey.” David said hesitantly, taking the rose and smiling up at the other half-heartedly. “I wasn’t expecting you. Or,  um, this.” He chuckled, gesturing to the wine and holding up the flower. 

 

“Well, I just wanted to surprise you.” He explained briefly, letting himself into the apartment and locking eyes with Gwen.  “Oh. I didn’t realize you had company.” His grin had completely vanished and he stared only at Gwen when he spoke. 

 

“Uh, yes! Gwen, you’ve met Daniel. Daniel, you remember Gwen?” David smiled wide, obviously nervous as he noted Daniel’s expression. 

 

“Yes.” “Yep.” The two answered in unison, Daniel popping his lips at the end of his ‘yep’ and Gwen narrowing her eyes in response. The room fell silent for nearly a minute as the two had their telepathic stand-off; Daniel was the first to look away, turning to David and giving him a smile that sent a cold shiver up his spine. 

 

“Davey~?” The blond said in a sing-song voice as the other man stood at attention. 

 

“Um, yes, Daniel?” 

 

“Can we talk? In private?”

 

“Anything you need to say to him, you can say in front of me.” Gwen steeled, crossing her arms and staring firmly at Daniel who just blinked at her. His eye twitched and he gave a dry chuckle. 

 

“Okay... Are you two screwing?” 

 

“God, not this again.” Gwen laughed as David sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

 

“No, Daniel.” He said firmly, continuing before the other could insist. “We’re just friends. We’ve talked about this.” 

 

“Yes, we have. But what am I supposed to think when my boyfriend goes behind my back to see his ‘friend’ whom he is oh so close to? Because I think, that I have every right to think that you’re cheating on me.”

 

David choked on pure shock and looked at Daniel, confused and wide-eyed. “Um, b-boyfriend?” 

 

Gwen covered her mouth and turned away, chuckling into her hand as the men conversed. 

 

“I’m sorry, was there a misunderstanding? Because I thought after last night we were dating again. Or was I wrong?” Daniel looked genuinely hurt; he was good at that, looking hurt. It was his magic trick to always get David to stay or return like some puppy that Daniel kept a shock collar on. David looked around, stuttering and rambling incoherently.

 

Gwen saw her friend on the verge of a panic attack and cleared her throat, staring down the blond. “What happened last night?” 

 

“Oh, he didn’t tell you then?” Daniel asked with a smirk, glancing at David apathetically. “Would you care to explain, Davey?” 

 

Gwen glared at him and scoffed, looking at David with a soothing, sympathetic smile. “It’s fine, David. Just breathe.” Her gaze quickly shot back to Daniel and she practically hissed when she spoke. “Listen, Daniel, I don’t know what happened between you two and frankly I don’t care. David doesn’t want you back. You’re poison.” 

 

Daniel frowned and looked at David, batting his eyelashes like a sad child. “Is that true?” 

 

“I...um...Daniel, look.” The ginger started, eyes fearful and his hands shaking. “Yesterday I was...very vulnerable. I didn’t mean to lead you on, but I don’t want to get back together. I’m sorry. I won’t let yesterday’s mistake happen again.” He looked down nervously at his shoes, full of guilt and regret. 

 

“I see. So it was all a mistake.” Daniel smiled an extremely bitter smile and looked off to the side, scoffing. “Sorry for the misunderstanding, then.” He turned on his heel and left abruptly, slamming the door behind him, causing David to flinch. He turned to Gwen with a guilty look and she sighed, moving to embrace him. 

 

“I’m proud of you.” Her words were soft and comforting to David’s ears. He hugged her back and sighed in response, staying like that for a good while before separating. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She smiled warmly, patting his shoulder briefly and turning to leave. David locked the door behind her and sighed again, this one more pained and exhausted. He figured his best bet was to sleep off his bad mood, so he did just that. 

  
  
  


Max was fed up with avoiding David; he didn’t see the point. He was going to talk to him today. He was going to fix things. After school he rushed to the classroom and found David grading papers, per usual. He clammed up when he saw him, unsure of how to approach him. He didn’t even have a plan. Was he supposed to apologize? Confront him? Seduce him? Okay, maybe not that last one- that’s the reason David wasn’t talking to him in the first place. So, maybe he should apologize then.

 

He took a deep breath and calmed himself, striding over to the desk. David looked up, a bit surprised and spoke before Max could even figure out how. “Oh hello, Max. Can I help you?” The teen clenched his teeth and sighed, swallowing the rock in his throat before finally opening his mouth. “I’m sorry.” It was soft and weak but David heard it. 

 

“Come again?” 

 

“I said...I’m  _ sorry _ .” 

 

David just sat and stared with a brow raised, trying to stay composed. It felt absolutely horrid to see Max so utterly destroyed by this. “I…” He tried to think of something to say but he just looked away with a guilt-stricken expression. 

 

“You’re my teacher and I should respect you as such.” Max sighed somewhat reluctantly. “I just...I  _ really  _ like you David. I do. I just- I don’t know how I’m supposed to prove that or… Christ, what am I saying?” He scoffed and dragged his palm over his face. “It’s not like that’d be possible anyway. You’re always telling me I’ll get you in trouble and I never listen. No wonder you hate me.”

 

“Max, I don’t hate you. But like you said, I can’t risk my job. Please understand that.” David looked down, furrowing his brow and gnawing at his lower lip in a distressed manner.

 

“Can you wait?”

 

“I’m sorry?” David looked up, obviously confused at Max’s question. 

 

“Can you wait until I graduate? It’ll only be a few months. I’m not asking to marry you or anything- I’m just asking for a chance. That way if I screw this up, it won’t be because of sneaking around and trying not to get you fired, you know? I just need a chance to see if this can work-” He gestured between himself and David, “and if I fuck up, it’ll be because I’m actually just a shitty person.” He laughed and shrugged lightly, pretending that he wasn’t hurt by his own words.

David gave a small smile and slowly nodded. “Yes, Max. I can wait for you to graduate because I don’t believe you’re a bad person.” He took the other’s hand and squeezed it gently, smiling up at him sweetly. They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and David quickly snatched his hand away, placing it in his lap and glancing toward the door. 

 

“Oh, Gwen, hello!” 

 

The woman was staring at the pair with obvious suspicion, but said nothing about what she saw. “Hello, David. I just came to see how you were doing.” She smiled at both of them and placed her hands on her hips. “You seem to be holding up just fine, though. Am I right?” 

 

“Oh- yes of course! I’m doing much better thanks to you!” 

 

“That’s good to hear. I’ll be on my way then. And Max, try not to stay too late. Mr. D has a lot of work. Right?” She looked to David, raising a brow. 

 

“Oh- um- yes, I do!” David nodded and looked at Max a bit nervously. 

 

“Don’t worry, Ms. G. I was just leaving anyway.” Max forced a smile and headed to the door. “See ya, Mr. D. Thanks for the help.” He said nonchalantly before leaving and heading to his car. She knew there was something going on, that was obvious. He mumbled curses to himself and drove out of the parking lot, chiding himself for not being more careful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm almost out of school for good guys, go me! Which m e a n s, I should be updating more regularly and finally finishing the story once I graduate! Thank you for all of the wonderful comments, guys. This story has gotten so much positive feedback, it's unbelievable! Thank you x1000!!!


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